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  1. News, Releases and Statements
  2. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa Joins Nobel Women’s Initiative

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Maria Ressa Joins Nobel Women’s Initiative

Nobel Women’s Initiative (NWI) is excited to announce that Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa from the Philippines has joined NWI. She joins Jody Williams (USA), Tawakkol Karman (Yemen), Leymah Gbowee (Liberia), Shirin Ebadi (Iran) and Rigoberta Menchu Tum (Guatemala), uniting in action together with courageous women leading peace around the world, and leveraging collective power to amplify nonviolent solutions, defend justice, and champion equality for all.

Posted on June 19, 2023
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Maria Ressa comments: “I am pleased to be joining my sister laureates at Nobel Women’s Initiative. At an existential moment for democracy, it is inspiring to be part of a group of women jointly and fearlessly challenging injustice, authoritarianism, violence and hate, and fighting for peace and democracy.”

Maria Ressa was one of two recipients of the prize in 2021 for safeguarding freedom of expression and the press. She is the co-founder and CEO of investigative journalism digital media company Rappler and has faced numerous retaliatory actions, including arrest warrants and attempts to revoke Rappler’s license, for their work exposing summary executions, fake news and corruption.

 

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams comments: “The attacks that Maria Ressa faces for doing her job are not isolated. They are part of a broader, global attack on freedom of the press, on women journalists and on the foundation of democracies. We will resist these attacks together as NWI.”

Because of broader growing attacks on freedom of the press, Maria Ressa, alongside Dmitry Muratov, the second recipient of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, presented a “10-point plan to address our information crisis” in 2022.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi comments: “It is women who open the gates to democracy. The sooner the patriarchy understands that, the faster change will come for all. Welcome to NWI, Maria Ressa. We are pleased to have you pushing to open the gate alongside us!”

Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, highlights: “I am delighted and filled with pride that Maria Ressa has joined the Nobel Women's Initiative. Her presence with us amplifies our commitment to upholding the right to freedom of expression as an essential pillar of democracy and global peace. We stand united with her in advocating for an inclusive and free media landscape that empowers individuals, holds power to account, and contributes to a more just and peaceful world.”

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee adds: “My sister laureates from NWI and I signed and continue to support Maria Ressa’s 10-point plan and urge immediate action to meet its recommendations.”

In addition to external threats faced by newsrooms, crucial internal issues must also be addressed. In particular, women are woefully underrepresented in the media. In 2020, the Global Gender Monitoring Project found that only 24% of all expert voices in the news were women. Women also make up only around a third of newsrooms, and war reporting is strongly dominated by men. NWI database Interview-Her helps connect media to a wide range of women experts on conflict, peace and security.

Maria Butler, Executive Director of NWI, comments: “Despite the central roles women play in driving peace, dominant narratives on peace and security continue to position women as victims and exclude their voices. Shifting those narratives, and supporting women journalists, is core to NWI’s recently adopted strategic directions. We are thrilled to welcome Maria Ressa to NWI. Her expertise and experiences will be crucial in our work to amplify nonviolent solutions, defend justice, and champion equality for all.”

Upon joining NWI, Maria Ressa will become the sixth current Nobel Peace Prize laureate at NWI. In total, only 18 women have received the peace prize in its entire history, compared to over 90 men.

News, Releases and Statements

June 20, 2023

Jody Williams calls for respect for justice and the rule of law in Guatemala

May 31, 2023

Call for Applications to 2023 Sister-to-Sister Program

March 6, 2023

Dr Shirin Ebadi's Open Letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

February 24, 2023

Nigerian Election Will Impact Gender Equality and Peace

January 18, 2023

Nobel Women’s Initiative Welcomes Maria Ressa’s Acquittal and Urges Action to Address Information Crisis

November 4, 2022

Dr Shirin Ebadi Addresses UN Security Council

October 7, 2022

Nobel Women’s Initiative laureates congratulate 2022 Peace Prize winners calling for peace with justice

September 28, 2022

An Open Letter to the People of Iran

September 19, 2022

Peace laureates appalled and saddened by the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran

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Recent Media Coverage

Recognizing the Role of Women in Fighting for Peace in Ukraine. Women's Enews. 23 February 2023. 

How Ukrainian Women Are Working to Safeguard Human Rights in the Face of War. Ms Magazine. 23 February 2023. 

Jody Williams: "Se están usando minas terrestres en la invasión de Ucrania". El Espanol. 8 February 2023. 

Nobel laureate Ebadi says Iran's 'revolutionary process' is irreversible. Reuters. 3 February 2023.

Minelegging truer sivile i Ukraina. Klassekampen. 25 January 2023. 

“Oh, Sister!” — life of Women of Ukraine amidst the war. The Odessa Journal. 29 December 2022.

‘Bravery has no gender’: Nobel prize winner praises role of women in Ukraine conflict. The Irish Times. 16 December 2022.

Für Ukraine alles geben, was möglich ist. Berliner Zeitung, 16 December 2022. 

Shirin Ebadi on the legal obstacles Iran’s protesters face. Economist, 16 November 2022

Will Russia use tactical nukes? It’s time to abolish nuclear weapons.* Houston Chronicle, 6 November 2022

How Women Respond to War: An Interview With Three Nobel Laureates. Women's Media Center, 4 November 2022

U.S/ Seeks Removal of Iran From U.N. Women's Rights Agency. New York Times, 2 November 2022

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Spotlight the Brave, Visionary Women of Ukraine And Launch 'Women Lead' Campaign. Forbes, 28 October 2022

“They Want a Democracy”: Iranian Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi on Protests, Regime’s Future. Democracy Now, 20 October 2022

'Iran will be democratic one day': Shirin Ebadi. DW, 23 October 2022

Shirin Ebadi: Women will open the gate to democracy in Iran. CNN, 7 October 2022

*Behind a paywall

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